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Douglas A. King was born January 30, 1937 to Otis Yeoman and Ruth Allen King in Lake Placid, New York. He graduated from Lake Placid Central High School in 1955 and earned a degree in Forestry from Paul Smiths College in 1957. Upon graduation, he was employed by Draper Corporation in Tupper Lake.
Douglas (aka Dooley) was the youngest person to ride down the lake Placid bobsled runs, he also earned a metal for Bravery” foolishness” for training as a Olympic ski Jumper, but did not take that path .
Otis wanted Douglas to take over the Bait and Fishing guide business, “Who could make a living doing That?” Who would have known what the internet did for Professional Fishing People…. “Bass masters prize for fishing $300,000.00 a season….They give you a Boat, Truck, cooler full of BEER……
Douglas also was a scuba diver, had a underwater salvage business. His father Otis was fishing guide and kept him retrieving items that seemed to Jump out of the Boat.(for you’s that knew Otis the apple did not fall far from the tree..)
Douglas tried salvaging logs in the Raquette River, and Cranberry Lake, to saw at his mill, but the water stains made them valueless, and at that time there was a plethora of wood here. Now the wood peckers have to pack a lunch…..
Douglas for twenty years was woodlands manger, of 75,000 acre’s, for Draper Corp/Rockwell International, seventeen years for Wagner Woodlands of Lyme, New Hampshire managing Yorkshire Timber Company out of Tupper Lake, New York.
His Forestry domain was from Piercefield to Canton, as many of this town knew. Doug guided the annual snowmobile trip, from the Riverside of Tupper Lake, Pierce field hotel, Semis, Conifer Hotel to, Merchants, Newton Falls hotel, Wind Fall House, Blue Birds Star Lake, Oswegatchie, Judy’s in South Colton’s ,and somehow every one made it back alive…a few stitches, broken helmets’, missing Skis,…..Mad Wives……….
Douglas was the first snowmobile guide to take the Tour of the Adirondacks sponsored by Ski Doo from Canton to lake Placid. Troopers and forest rangers are still looking for the culprit……….
1979 was the last year of the snowmobiles, as the snow was really sparse, and the state was closing off the land to riding, boating in the summers and Long winters made a void for thrill of crashing and the need for SPEED……four wheels did not quite fill the need so in 1982 Doug and Scott bought their first airplane, 140 Cessna… It had a few issues, well quite a few, 3 out of four cylinders were good, and you could not fly when damp because you lost your air speed indicator, nothing serious it Just falls out of the sky then……It was priced right all most free……that should have been a eye opener…. Well a friend that flew said what a deal…..OOOO Yahhh right,
It was lime green…. Kermit so be it was named…. Well we did not know anything about planes so our friend gave us CRASH lessons, Douglas really took this to heart….The age difference was important issue, My brain was developing and Douglas’s was decreasing……
So we took four quick lessons and SOLOED without our friend…we had no formal instructions, did not read the manuals … Did not know they had them….lol….
So then we decided after we flew for a couple of months to get a student pilot license, so we signed up for instructions,
The instructor showed up early for our instruction on the first day and was waiting as Douglas and I flew in together and stepped out of the plane.
First impressions are everything…….
So after Formal Training we had the paper work for Speed, so we could go over state land, private land where every we wanted to go……
So snow was coming, so of course we Bought Skis for Kermit….
Then it was raining and Doug came over and wanted to fly in the rain, I said no, because the air speed indicator did not work in the rain….. Douglas proved why you should not fly in the rain, he came back to house with blood running down his face and air plane on its Roof, they do not fly that way….
So the Death of Kermit…
Had skis and no Plane…….. so the saga started…..SKIS……did you ever get a airplane stuck in the slush on the Ice?......... We did……whole story to that…
Doug perfected the art of crashing and walking away.
Judy thought she wanted to try it and after the first time she had enough of the crashing and walking in the snow…….
Doug kept flying until he could no longer, not because he ran out of planes………….
Douglas enjoyed traveling out west, Hunting and Panning for Gold,” He preferred to run equipment better than running a Pan”………. went on a few cruises, showed his grand kids a few things as well as them showing him a few things.
Did you see the picture of him riding the Jackolope?......The west will never be the same….
Douglas was not all that fond of water slide tubes, especially when they were over 4 stories tall, and the grand kids tricked him into it…….The kids are still laugh about the screaming………he’s still mad at me………”that damn need for speed….He preferred to be in something”…..
Douglas battle began in 2012 and passed all expectations, He was taken to experts in the field MO in 2014, He returned home in 2017 and passed peacefully at his home in Tupper Lake,
Douglas was a 60 year member of the Masonic Lodge of Lake Placid 839, New York and Shriner of the Oriental Temple of Troy, New York.
Douglas was predeceased by his Daughter, Vanessa Lynn King Malerba, Father, Otis Yeoman and Mother, Ruth Allen King, Brother-in-law,
Roger L. DeFoe.
Douglas and Judy Dixon King were married almost 62 years and were blessed (cursed) with three children, Vanessa Lynn Malerba, Tupper Lake. Laura King Lavigne of Deerfield
Beach, Florida .Scott King of Montreal, MO. Five grandchildren, Craig Allen King and wife, Lacey King, Wyoming,
Rebecca King Vaughn and husband, Kevin, North Carolina, Mitchell and Fiancé, Jessica Talley, Camdenton Missouri, Lindsay Lavigne Mozdzier
and husband Aaron, Larry Douglas Lavigne, Tupper Lake NY.
Seven Great Grandchildren Evelyn m King., Otis Allen King, Wy, Skylynn King, Missouri, Mason and Preston Talley, Missouri. Samuel and Layne Mozdzier, Tupper Lake, New York; Sister, Shirley King DeFoe, Brother, Allen Roger King and wife, Karen L. King, several nieces and nephews and Great Grand nieces and nephews.
Doug loved the outdoors, was very active and wasn't afraid to try something.
He’s back in the air now where he's still flying ………..doing what he loved.

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